The invention relates to an article treatment apparatus, in particular, to an apparatus for drying boxes, and including a conveyor having article-conveying, air-permeable means displaceable along a support provided with a plurality of vacuum openings.
An article treatment apparatus of the above-described type is known. The known apparatus represents an apparatus for drying lacquered articles generally having a printed pattern thereon, in particular, for drying lacquered boxes. The known drying apparatus includes a conveyor provided with an air-permeable conveyor belt. The conveyor has a likewise air-permeable support for supporting the conveyor belt during the displacement of the conveyor belt, together with boxes, through the drying zones or drying ovens.
During the displacement through the drying ovens, the lacquered, fresh-painted boxes are subjected to a stream of a drying air from above. The drying stream also penetrates through the conveyor belt and the support, due to their air-permeability, and thereby the drying process runs more rapidly. As a result, the articles arrive at the exit of a last drying oven in a dried condition.
The conveyor of the known apparatus includes a metal chain which requires use of a powerful drive and thus, adversely affects the stability of the articles on the conveyor. The conveyors of the known apparatuses, instead of a metal chain, may include a belt made of a plastic material.
Usually, the vacuum openings in the conveyor support are arbitrarily arranged. Because of this, infiltration air in the joint regions of the conveyor support (the joint regions are formed not only by abutting each other sections of the support, but also can be formed by separation walls or battering walls used for separating the vacuum chambers) cannot be compensated.
Because of the infiltration air, the stability of the conveyed articles on the conveying belt cannot be completely assured.
Accordingly, an object of the invention is an article treatment apparatus of the above-described type in which the stability of the articles, which are conveyed on conveying means, is substantially improved.